1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel 4-imidazolin-2-one compound which has an excellent p38MAP kinase inhibitory action and is useful for a medicament.
2. Background Art
Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is a member of serine-threonine kinases which transfers a γ-phosphate group of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to a hydroxy of specific serine or threonine which constitutes a protein, and is involved in various cellular responses against extracellular signals. p38 MAP kinase is an about 38 kDa protein and cloned as a homologue of MAP kinases.
p38MAP kinase is activated by inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 (IL-1), and by stimulation caused by stress such as ultraviolet irradiation. p38 MAP kinase recognizes various transcription factors and protein kinases as a substrate. It has been clearly shown that, being activated by p38 MAP kinase, these transcription factors and protein kinases become involved in promoting transcription, post-transcriptional regulation (e.g. stabilizing mRNA and promoting protein translation) or stabilizing proteins, etc. of various proteins including inflammatory cytokines, which are involved in inflammatory reactions. From these findings, it is thought that p38 MAP kinase is critically involved in the various inflammatory reactions by regulating the production and the signal transduction of inflammatory cytokines, and an inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase can highly expected to serve as a therapeutic agent for various diseases including inflammatory diseases.
As the inhibitors for p38 MAP kinase, there have been disclosed imidazole derivatives in PCT Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 2000-503304, 1,3-thiazole derivatives in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 2001-114690, 1,3-thiazole derivatives and 1,3-oxazole derivatives in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 2001-114779, imidazole derivatives, pyrrole derivatives, furan derivatives, 3-pyrazolin-5-one derivatives, pyrazole derivatives and thiophene derivative, etc. in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents (2000) 10(1): 25-37, respectively. However, there has been no description on 4-imidazolin-2-one derivatives in any of these.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel compound having an excellent p38 MAP kinase inhibitory action and is useful as a pharmaceutical.